4.6.2. > The List Body

The body of the template, reproduced below, lists information about each individual item.

Each row of the table must record all the relevant information about each individual item. If the items are part of a registered or other form of filing system, they must be arranged and listed in the order imposed by that system. Please discuss with the transfer archivist prior to listing and boxing if this presents difficulties.

The elements comprising the body of the template are:

• Agency

Each agency registered by Archives New Zealand is identified by a unique four letter code in upper case. This will be allocated to the agency by the transfer archivist.

This field is constant for the entire list, and MS Excel enables the field to be autofilled as a timesaving technique. Please see 4.6.5 Formatting for instructions on autofilling.

• Series

Archives need to be listed and boxed in order, according to their series.¹ This must be discussed with the transfer archivist prior to listing and boxing. Series codes are allocated by Archives New Zealand following transfer, and are not required for listing purposes.

• Accession

This field repeats the accession number as entered in the Header. It remains constant for the entire list, and MS Excel enables the field to be autofilled as a timesaving technique. See section 4.6.5 Formatting for instructions on autofilling.

• Box/Item

You will need to give all containers and loose items a number which assigns them a place in a storage sequence. It is essential to include the box number for each individual item. Please use the number only; do not include the word 'box' or 'item' in this field.

If the items are not boxed (e.g. large volumes), it may be appropriate to put an item number in this field. Please discuss this option with the transfer archivist prior to listing.

• Record Number

This is the full code or classification given to the item by the creating agency when it is registered into a recordkeeping system. The entire reference number of an item should be recorded in this field, including any sub-series abbreviations. Examples include:

• Annual Single Number systems, e.g. 2002/56
• Multiple Number Subject systems, e.g. 22/5/10
• Alpha-numeric systems, e.g. ADM 1/2/3

The transfer archivist is available to discuss listing items from such systems, or anomalies found within them.

If the items to be listed are not part of a registered filing system, they may not have a record number. If there is no record number, leave this field blank.

• Part

A single record may, for filing or storage purposes, be broken into more than one physical unit or part.

Each part or volume must have its own full list entry, not e.g. 'parts 1-4'. If numeric, the part/volume should be written in Arabic, not Roman, numerals, i.e. '1' not 'i'. Do not include the word 'part' in this field.

If an item does not have a part or volume number, leave this field blank.

Note: Part numbers can be assigned if there is more than one item with the same title and/or record number. In such cases the part number should be entered in square brackets [ ] on the list, and also pencilled on the physical item.

• Item Description/Title

The item description is the title given to a record. List the full title with all its component parts. For records from registered filing systems, this should incorporate both the title of any sub-series (i.e. classification group) to which the item belongs, as well as the individual title of the item.

e.g. Personnel – Recruitment – Building Services Manager
(Sub-series) (Individual title)

Repeat full information for each item - do not use 'ditto'. If the items to be listed come from a recordkeeping system where titles include a lot of repeated information, you can use the 'with sub-series' version of the list template. This allows repeated information to be autofilled rather than entered individually for each record. See section 4.6.4. 'With sub-series' version for further information.

Some important points to be aware of when listing record titles include:

• Formal Title

If the item has a clear and complete original title, transcribe this into the list.

• Inadequate Formal Title

If the original title does not adequately convey the matters covered in the item, it can be enhanced by adding a clarifying phrase at the end of the original title. This must be enclosed in square brackets.

e.g. Legislation [establishment of quarantine research station on Somes Island]

• Incomplete Formal Title

If the item is clearly part of a sub-series (i.e. a classification group), but the sub-series title has not been written on the item, provide this in square brackets.

e.g. [Training within Industry - ] Field organisation - Lower Hutt

• No Formal Title

If the item has no original title, make one up and enclose it in square brackets. Examine the content of the item and compose a suitable title which should include, where appropriate, the form of the material comprising the item, and a phrase reflecting function, activity, subject, location or theme. The description should focus on the item as a whole.

e.g. [Ethel the Aardvark goes quantity surveying] [Photograph album of Ethel the Aardvark's quantity surveying, Taupo]

• Spelling Mistakes

In the case of obvious spelling mistakes, correct the word. This can be a direct substitution. It is not necessary to transcribe the error and then add the correction in square brackets.

• Spelling Variations

Either the English or American spelling of words is accepted, e.g. colour or color. Where a dictionary recognises variations in spelling as valid, then either will be accepted. The interchangeable use of 'z' and 's' is a common example of this.

• Anachronistic Spellings

Do not update old spellings which may no longer be in current use, or replace historical place names.

e.g. Do not replace 'gaol' with 'jail'.
Do not replace 'Ceylon' with 'Sri Lanka'.

• Hyphens

Records which are part of a registered filing system often have several parts to their titles. In some cases there may not be any clear punctuation used to separate the different parts of the titles. When listing such records, hyphens should be used to separate the different elements of each title.

e.g. Accommodation - Hamilton - General

• Abbreviations and Acronyms

Acronyms and abbreviations must as a general rule be written in full. This maximises the return on key word searching in Archives New Zealand's finding aids, and ensures that content and context is as clear as possible. Transfer lists using abbreviations and acronyms may not be accepted. The following rules apply:

• If the acronym is so familiar that it is more recognisable than the full version, and it is listed in a reputable dictionary, leave it as is.
• Show acronyms without full stops or spaces between or after the letters. Acronyms can be written in upper case, or lower case with an initial capital letter.
  
  e.g. UNESCO or Unesco
  not U.N.E.S.C.O.
• Titles and rank, awards and academic qualifications:
  It is not necessary to expand abbreviations of title, rank, award, or qualification where they are attached to a proper name.
  
  e.g. Court martial proceedings against Lt. Smith
  
  BUT terms of title, rank, awards and qualifications used in abstract or general terms within a title must be written in full.
  
  e.g. Hours of work for junior doctors
  not Hours of work for jnr. Drs.
  
  Recipients of the QSO [Queens Service Order]
• Place names, streets and geographical features:
  Names of streets, towns, countries, etc. must be written in full, unless an abbreviation is part of the official name.
  
  e.g. Christchurch not ChCh
  Pleasant Point not Pleasant Pt.
  St Louis not Saint Louis

• Open Date/Close Date

These are the years in which the earliest and latest records on the item were created. These may differ from the dates recorded on the cover of an item, and may or may not be the first and last sequential records.

Open/close dates should be recorded as four digit years, e.g. 1967. If it is considered important, days and months may be recorded in square brackets [ ] in the Item description/title field. In the case of an item opening or closing in one year, the year should be given as both the open and close date.

It is important that you check the physical item for dates. Some examples are:

• Files: The years of the first and last papers to be put on the file. These are usually the bottom and top papers respectively, or simply the earliest and latest identifiable years.
• Volumes: The years of the first and last entry in the volume.
• Maps and plans: The date specified on the map or plan. The open and close dates for maps and plans are usually the same.

Guidelines for recording probable or uncertain dates:

?1892	probable date (i.e. I think the year was 1892)
c.1892	approximate date (i.e. I think the year was about 1892, give or take a few years)
[no date]	date unknown (i.e. no date)
?1890	probable decade - in which case the close date will be: ?1899
?1899	probable decade - in which case the open date will be: ?1890

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1 A series is defined as:

Those records or archives having the same provenance which belong together because:

• They are part of a discernable filing system (alphabetical, numerical, chronological, or a combination of these);
• They have been kept together because they result from the same activity; or
• They are of similar formats and relate to a particular function.

A series may consist of one item.
Also referred to as a record series.
(Archives New Zealand, G5: Glossary of Archives and Recordkeeping Terms).